THE TREATY OF EEZERUM. 139 



favoured nation ; and that the treatment of theh^ 

 respective subjects and their trade shall also, in every 

 respect, be placed on the footing of the treatment of the 

 subjects and commerce of the most favoured nation." 

 And the most favoured nation under the treaty of 

 Turkomanchai was Kussia, our bitterest rival in the 

 East ! Why, it is natural to ask, was no specific 

 agreement come to under the aforesaid treaty of Paris ? 



If we relied upon Turkey, who, after Eussia had 

 agreed to the Customs duties being raised, would, under 

 the treaty of Erzerum, have been the most favoured 

 nation, we relied upon a broken reed ; at least, the 

 result proves that if British influence was brought 

 to bear at Constantinople with a view to preserving 

 the treaty of Erzerum, it was not strong enough to 

 prevail against pressure from the North. It is always 

 well to bear in mind when dealing with Turkey that 

 there is still a balance of something like £T24,000,000 

 owing to Hussia on account of indemnity for war ! The 

 only other country that might possibly have been put 

 forward as having a commercial treaty with Persia that 

 would hold good was Egypt ; but that Egypt, which 

 had been granted the right of concluding commercial 

 treaties with foreign Powers by a firman issued on 

 June 8, 1873, could be looked upon as an independent 

 party to the treaty of Erzerum was evidently not 

 entertained. 



So the way was clear, and the tariff" was brought in. 

 Its provisions are many and intricate, and any enumera- 

 tion of the different charges on the various objects of 

 import and export, and the different methods of apply- 

 ing them, would fill many pages, and serve only to 

 weary any one not intimately concerned with the trade 

 of Persia. Imports are divided into no less than 

 forty-two general headings, each one of which is sub- 



